In a startling act of political house cleaning, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet announced on Wednesday that she had asked all her cabinet ministers to submit their resignations.

Within 72 hours of her announcement Bachelet will decide what officials get to stay and who will go.

According to the Associated Press, Bachelet, the first woman president in Chile, is currently struggling with the lowest approval ratings of her political career. She was reelected in 2014 after serving a term between 2006 and 2010.

In an interview with Mario Kreutzberger, who is most recognizable as the affable host Don Francisco of the recently cancelled variety program "Sabado Gigante," Bachelet explained: "Some hours ago I asked all of my ministers to submit their resignation."

"This is the time for a Cabinet change," the Chilean leader asserted.

Although corruption in Chile is considered low by the standards of other South American countries, a recent campaign financing scandal involving right-wing politicians and a prominent financial company, as well as a loan scandal involving Bachelet's own son, has left the people of Chile with a serious distrust of politicians and the business elite alike.

All of this has taken a toll on Bachelet, who won her 2014 presidency by pledging to fight against Chile's inequalities.

Guillermo Holzman, a political science professor at the University of Valparaiso, touched upon how Bachelet’s move to clean house might positively affect her popularity, saying: "The announcement, the way she does it and the surprise it caused lead us to think that this could part of a profound change."

As reported in the Associated Press, a new poll (which surveyed 1,049 people between March 7- 29) informs that Bachelet’s approval rating were at 31 percent in April, which was the same as in March. This is the lowest approval rating the Chilean leader has ever had.